Newsome is putting redistricting to a vote in November because nonpartisan commission redistricting is mandated by the California State Constitution. To redistrict by the legislature, you need to amend the Constitution by a referendum.
It's also great politics, because it affirms democracy rather than Trump's EOs, very few of which could pass by referendum.
Thanks Kathleen. I was running around to get an answer to that question. Was about to phone a friend and you dropped in with the answer. Thanks a bunch.
It's all neuroanatomy - the Dems with their policy papers, etc aim at the brain's cognitive cortex, responsible for rational decisions. But that is not where people really live. We live in the emotional limbic system, especially the love-hate center- the amygdala. That is where trump and his voters live. Newscom is building a space there that seems to be successful, especially humiliating the humiliator-in-chief, trump. This is an existential fight; if it is a fist fight bring a knife. If a knife fight bring a gun. Time for Dems to grow limbic cojones.
Yes, we need to fight fire with fire. I'm glad to see at least some Democrats waking up. There are more younger leaders like AOC, Crockett and Ossof to look to for the future as well. Bernie Sanders is doing yeoman's service on behalf of Progressives too.
Gavin is leading the culture and meme wars. May he continue.
Dems have had 50 years to play the long game. They failed. The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago. The second best is today.
Yes, Gavin will run in 2028. Is he the candidate who will prevent Palantir from targeting Americans? No. A lot can change in 3.5 years in a dictatorship. Is he the man of the moment? Yes.
I have to stay on Newsom, no other choice currently, Mr. Narayan.
Gavin is anti-trans people.
Cleared homeless people like Trump.
Signed a bill preventing college protests against Israel as anti-Semitism.
Openly supports Israel.
Platforms right-wing radicals.
He is Blue MAGA as a friend told me yesterday. He is the favored candidate of the DNC. Very obvious.
புலி பசித்தால் புல்லுத் தின்னுமா?
Loosely translated from Tamil as “Tiger won't change stripes even in despair” or “Will a hungry tiger eat grass?”
He won’t take the steps to reform and sustain democracy. Gavin would be a caretaker President until a worse Republican candidate takes his place. As you said, we need to think long-term. That requires a real Progressive candidate to run.
We do. And the whole criticism thing as a substitute for real action has got to go. Tell us about your superior discerning intelligence and feelings after we show trump & friends the fucking door. I cannot tell you how many times in the last ten years I have noticed folks trying this out just to stroke their idiot egos to look good on TV or in print while alleging they are for us and our democracy. Naysaying is not going to help. Help this time. Please.
Although I depend on your posts for intelligent information and strategic analysis about the war in Ukraine, a subject we all might care a bit more than we seem to, for a whole host of cogent reasons ranging far beyond that of 'mere' empathy, I am happy to see you broadening your appeal by branching more widely into US domestic politics. And I am pleased to discover that you're endorsing the guerilla tactics and media smarts of Gavin Newsom. Why? (You might ask.) Not 'coz I like his hair cut, because I don't (too much gel and blow dry and he looks enough like an oblate raptor without feathers standing away from his skull) or the unfortunate fact that he used to be married to that idiot from Fox who wiggled her way into the shriveled heart and nether parts of Don Junior, but because A) he was first a bartender/bar owner (meaning he understands small business and knows how to listen and reflect the concerns of plain folk) and B) he was then mayor of SFO, a city beloved of my youth and one which is as hard to govern as it is to drive in, and C) He's been the successsful governor of a state which, were it a separate country, would be the total envy of the world, despite its wildfires, earthquakes and Hollywood vibe. (Plus/minus as real artists work there...too.) What a hoot that he's discovered and made great advantage of the very means the Orange Crud rose to attention upon. I just ordered a "Don't Poke the Bear" sign for my front yard. It'll take one hella competitor to stand against him. He may not be perfect, but the perfect is the enemy of the damn good!
Agreed. He made me get back into the political ring. I can see what he is doing and he needs support. Can't miss the moment. All the way to the midterms
At the moment, Newsome looks like the one to beat for the 2028 nomination. These sorts of comments write themselves, and they're not too valuable as a result, but he's gone a long way to building a brand that isn't going to only read "San Francisco/Pelosi/Dem," and at this point, fair or not, that's a sound decision. Better to be labeled a "Democrat troll" who "gives no f#-ks" in this day and age, and yes, if nothing else, the Trump era seems to underscore the notion that there's no such thing as bad publicity.
Once again. however, Dems are in a box. We do *not* want the redistricting fight to go nuclear.
"In one fell swoop, Texas’ hyperpartisan gerrymander erased five Democratic seats. In reply, California is moving to remove dozens of GOP seats. Now GOP favoring redistricts are on the table in FL, OH, IN, and MO.
More Democratic states may join CA in retaliation but even if every blue state joins in the math does not work out in the Democrats favor:
23 - number of states where GOP controls Governorship and legislature
15 - the number of states where Dems control Governorship and legislature."
There is a lot of concern among the Republican Party of Texas that the gerrymander in Texas won't go the way it looks. The Republicans in the Texas legislature and Abbott were all opposed to it, but Trump strongarmed them into it. Texans are furious at Republican state legislators, because they caved to Trump, not because the gerrymander was their (really dumb) idea. Let's not count the chickens until they're hatched.
To clarify what may not be obvious outside of Texas, the Republican Party of Texas does not give a rat's ass if the redistriciting is, or seems to be, racist. This is the party that openly declares that power should not be held by anyone who is not a white, Christian male, and they know the DoJ is no longer going to intervene. Their concern is that they are afraid the gerrymander could backfire and cause them to lose control over the Texas Legislature. They also don't give a rat's ass about Texans, but it would be very bad for them personally. Like the Trump minions, if there is accountability, they're all going to be investigated for corruption.
Let’s get one thing straight: red states would be economically comatose without California. That’s not opinion—it’s arithmetic. The Golden State, with its $4.1 trillion economy, bankrolls the very federal government that turns around and coddles red-state beggars like Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky. You whine about socialism while suckling on California’s capitalist teat.
California pays far more in federal taxes than it ever gets back. It’s the second biggest net donor state in the entire country—only New Jersey, another blue stronghold, gives more. Meanwhile, the red states crying loudest about “government overreach” are the ones bleeding the Treasury dry. That’s right: the self-styled rugged individualists are actually the most dependent welfare queens in the union.
Trump’s cultists love to sneer at “woke” coastal elites, but they depend on us for everything—tech innovation, clean energy, cultural exports, and especially tax revenue. For every dollar red states put in, they take out far more. Blue states like California foot the bill. You call that freedom? Sounds more like freeloading.
So the next time a MAGA diehard mouths off about California, remind them: the roads they drive, the hospitals they exploit, the broadband they didn’t build—all made possible by a state they pretend to hate and desperately need.
Totally agree. But the DNC may drag him down. They definitely don't get it. They constantly take their base for granted. As the country moves to more positions that will support working people they are stubbornly sticking to center right and the money that lives there
Finally someone on the Democratic side gets it: this is a psy-ops battle as much as a political battle.
If the MAGA leadership, from people like Michael Flynn, Kash Patel, Steve Bannon and their ilk learned in the lead up to the 2016 election, if you go where the enemy isn’t, you can attack with limited forces and achieve victory in the larger war.
And the psy-ops front was unprotected by the Democratic Party establishment. I doubt they even knew that there was a psy-ops front. At least Newsom’s team is reacting and counter-attacking. Satire is one of the big guns too.
Now the problem lies in the learning curves: the GOP and their condottierre of alt-right websites, Fox News and Russian propaganda writers have been at this a long while. I strongly suspect that Q’Anon was a Russia op that succeeded beyond their wildest dreams at making huge numbers of people loose touch with reality. Enough voters fed Trump’s bull$hit to swing a purple district red. And the hits will keep coming.
Now that some of the Democratic Party establishment have seen how effective Newsom’s counter-attack has been, we can only hope that they will go after the memes, mis-information and out right lies the Republicans and their media firehose have been spewing. The alt-left may need to be encouraged to battle the alt-right, and hopefully cancel each other out. Dang that will be a noisy affair, keys flying off keyboards as they hammer out their latest insults and compliments, lies and truths. The mothers screaming from the top of the basement stairs to shut up and come for dinner.
This does assume that the Democrats will not self-deter because of ‘embarrassing’ videos from the Epstien Files are not used as kompromat and they are blackmailed into inaction and silence. Or worse, arrested and charged. Bondi’s DOJ will have had enough time to prepare enough to go before Grand Juries if they have. The DOJ has had the files since 2019. We can’t be sure, but we can hope for the while finding lawyers to help with the worst.
I do hope Newsom’s Meme Team will keep’em coming, because there is such a volume of good MAGA material deserving of good satire and ridicule.
It is true that in many ways Newsom is doing an admirable job trolling and fighting back against $rump and his Project 2025 backers. I agree that he deserves our support doing that.
It is also true that Newsom has actively undermined our trans relatives and neighbors. He opposed measures in the California legislature that would have helped. On right wing podcasts he talked as if the handful of trans girls who are good at sports are a national crisis that must be stopped by politicians. Anyone who will throw marginalized people under the bus has demonstrated a willingness to betray people for his own advantage. For details, see Erin Reed's post at https://substack.com/home/post/p-171886282.
So support Newsom in any good he does. But don't glorify or trust him: he has shown us that would be a mistake.
Newsome is putting redistricting to a vote in November because nonpartisan commission redistricting is mandated by the California State Constitution. To redistrict by the legislature, you need to amend the Constitution by a referendum.
It's also great politics, because it affirms democracy rather than Trump's EOs, very few of which could pass by referendum.
Thanks Kathleen. I was running around to get an answer to that question. Was about to phone a friend and you dropped in with the answer. Thanks a bunch.
It's all neuroanatomy - the Dems with their policy papers, etc aim at the brain's cognitive cortex, responsible for rational decisions. But that is not where people really live. We live in the emotional limbic system, especially the love-hate center- the amygdala. That is where trump and his voters live. Newscom is building a space there that seems to be successful, especially humiliating the humiliator-in-chief, trump. This is an existential fight; if it is a fist fight bring a knife. If a knife fight bring a gun. Time for Dems to grow limbic cojones.
Yes, we need to fight fire with fire. I'm glad to see at least some Democrats waking up. There are more younger leaders like AOC, Crockett and Ossof to look to for the future as well. Bernie Sanders is doing yeoman's service on behalf of Progressives too.
Gavin is leading the culture and meme wars. May he continue.
Dems have had 50 years to play the long game. They failed. The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago. The second best is today.
Yes, Gavin will run in 2028. Is he the candidate who will prevent Palantir from targeting Americans? No. A lot can change in 3.5 years in a dictatorship. Is he the man of the moment? Yes.
Stay on him.
I have to stay on Newsom, no other choice currently, Mr. Narayan.
Gavin is anti-trans people.
Cleared homeless people like Trump.
Signed a bill preventing college protests against Israel as anti-Semitism.
Openly supports Israel.
Platforms right-wing radicals.
He is Blue MAGA as a friend told me yesterday. He is the favored candidate of the DNC. Very obvious.
புலி பசித்தால் புல்லுத் தின்னுமா?
Loosely translated from Tamil as “Tiger won't change stripes even in despair” or “Will a hungry tiger eat grass?”
He won’t take the steps to reform and sustain democracy. Gavin would be a caretaker President until a worse Republican candidate takes his place. As you said, we need to think long-term. That requires a real Progressive candidate to run.
Midterms first. Let's clear the semi final first.
Correct. Before that we have Texas redistricting, California redistricting, NJ and VA elections, and NYC elections.
We do. And the whole criticism thing as a substitute for real action has got to go. Tell us about your superior discerning intelligence and feelings after we show trump & friends the fucking door. I cannot tell you how many times in the last ten years I have noticed folks trying this out just to stroke their idiot egos to look good on TV or in print while alleging they are for us and our democracy. Naysaying is not going to help. Help this time. Please.
Although I depend on your posts for intelligent information and strategic analysis about the war in Ukraine, a subject we all might care a bit more than we seem to, for a whole host of cogent reasons ranging far beyond that of 'mere' empathy, I am happy to see you broadening your appeal by branching more widely into US domestic politics. And I am pleased to discover that you're endorsing the guerilla tactics and media smarts of Gavin Newsom. Why? (You might ask.) Not 'coz I like his hair cut, because I don't (too much gel and blow dry and he looks enough like an oblate raptor without feathers standing away from his skull) or the unfortunate fact that he used to be married to that idiot from Fox who wiggled her way into the shriveled heart and nether parts of Don Junior, but because A) he was first a bartender/bar owner (meaning he understands small business and knows how to listen and reflect the concerns of plain folk) and B) he was then mayor of SFO, a city beloved of my youth and one which is as hard to govern as it is to drive in, and C) He's been the successsful governor of a state which, were it a separate country, would be the total envy of the world, despite its wildfires, earthquakes and Hollywood vibe. (Plus/minus as real artists work there...too.) What a hoot that he's discovered and made great advantage of the very means the Orange Crud rose to attention upon. I just ordered a "Don't Poke the Bear" sign for my front yard. It'll take one hella competitor to stand against him. He may not be perfect, but the perfect is the enemy of the damn good!
Agreed. He made me get back into the political ring. I can see what he is doing and he needs support. Can't miss the moment. All the way to the midterms
Thumbs up, waay up!
At the moment, Newsome looks like the one to beat for the 2028 nomination. These sorts of comments write themselves, and they're not too valuable as a result, but he's gone a long way to building a brand that isn't going to only read "San Francisco/Pelosi/Dem," and at this point, fair or not, that's a sound decision. Better to be labeled a "Democrat troll" who "gives no f#-ks" in this day and age, and yes, if nothing else, the Trump era seems to underscore the notion that there's no such thing as bad publicity.
And we aren’t voting for president now, we are saving/restoring democracy.
This gets the attention of many different folks and keeps our spirits up and on task.
It may work out for Gavin, and it is certainly better than glum foreboding and inaction.
Once again. however, Dems are in a box. We do *not* want the redistricting fight to go nuclear.
"In one fell swoop, Texas’ hyperpartisan gerrymander erased five Democratic seats. In reply, California is moving to remove dozens of GOP seats. Now GOP favoring redistricts are on the table in FL, OH, IN, and MO.
More Democratic states may join CA in retaliation but even if every blue state joins in the math does not work out in the Democrats favor:
23 - number of states where GOP controls Governorship and legislature
15 - the number of states where Dems control Governorship and legislature."
It is still ok. You fight and fail. you dont want to fail because you gave up the fight.
There is a lot of concern among the Republican Party of Texas that the gerrymander in Texas won't go the way it looks. The Republicans in the Texas legislature and Abbott were all opposed to it, but Trump strongarmed them into it. Texans are furious at Republican state legislators, because they caved to Trump, not because the gerrymander was their (really dumb) idea. Let's not count the chickens until they're hatched.
To clarify what may not be obvious outside of Texas, the Republican Party of Texas does not give a rat's ass if the redistriciting is, or seems to be, racist. This is the party that openly declares that power should not be held by anyone who is not a white, Christian male, and they know the DoJ is no longer going to intervene. Their concern is that they are afraid the gerrymander could backfire and cause them to lose control over the Texas Legislature. They also don't give a rat's ass about Texans, but it would be very bad for them personally. Like the Trump minions, if there is accountability, they're all going to be investigated for corruption.
I think you're right. An all out war may be stopped. It gets extremely complex.
Those states were already planning to follow TX's lead. It wasn't b/c of CA.
🪱 RED STATE PARASITES
California: The ATM for America’s Deadbeat States
Let’s get one thing straight: red states would be economically comatose without California. That’s not opinion—it’s arithmetic. The Golden State, with its $4.1 trillion economy, bankrolls the very federal government that turns around and coddles red-state beggars like Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky. You whine about socialism while suckling on California’s capitalist teat.
California pays far more in federal taxes than it ever gets back. It’s the second biggest net donor state in the entire country—only New Jersey, another blue stronghold, gives more. Meanwhile, the red states crying loudest about “government overreach” are the ones bleeding the Treasury dry. That’s right: the self-styled rugged individualists are actually the most dependent welfare queens in the union.
Trump’s cultists love to sneer at “woke” coastal elites, but they depend on us for everything—tech innovation, clean energy, cultural exports, and especially tax revenue. For every dollar red states put in, they take out far more. Blue states like California foot the bill. You call that freedom? Sounds more like freeloading.
So the next time a MAGA diehard mouths off about California, remind them: the roads they drive, the hospitals they exploit, the broadband they didn’t build—all made possible by a state they pretend to hate and desperately need.
California doesn’t just lead. It carries you.
—A Proud California Resident
@Open Letters by Mersault
Totally agree. But the DNC may drag him down. They definitely don't get it. They constantly take their base for granted. As the country moves to more positions that will support working people they are stubbornly sticking to center right and the money that lives there
Finally someone on the Democratic side gets it: this is a psy-ops battle as much as a political battle.
If the MAGA leadership, from people like Michael Flynn, Kash Patel, Steve Bannon and their ilk learned in the lead up to the 2016 election, if you go where the enemy isn’t, you can attack with limited forces and achieve victory in the larger war.
And the psy-ops front was unprotected by the Democratic Party establishment. I doubt they even knew that there was a psy-ops front. At least Newsom’s team is reacting and counter-attacking. Satire is one of the big guns too.
Now the problem lies in the learning curves: the GOP and their condottierre of alt-right websites, Fox News and Russian propaganda writers have been at this a long while. I strongly suspect that Q’Anon was a Russia op that succeeded beyond their wildest dreams at making huge numbers of people loose touch with reality. Enough voters fed Trump’s bull$hit to swing a purple district red. And the hits will keep coming.
Now that some of the Democratic Party establishment have seen how effective Newsom’s counter-attack has been, we can only hope that they will go after the memes, mis-information and out right lies the Republicans and their media firehose have been spewing. The alt-left may need to be encouraged to battle the alt-right, and hopefully cancel each other out. Dang that will be a noisy affair, keys flying off keyboards as they hammer out their latest insults and compliments, lies and truths. The mothers screaming from the top of the basement stairs to shut up and come for dinner.
This does assume that the Democrats will not self-deter because of ‘embarrassing’ videos from the Epstien Files are not used as kompromat and they are blackmailed into inaction and silence. Or worse, arrested and charged. Bondi’s DOJ will have had enough time to prepare enough to go before Grand Juries if they have. The DOJ has had the files since 2019. We can’t be sure, but we can hope for the while finding lawyers to help with the worst.
I do hope Newsom’s Meme Team will keep’em coming, because there is such a volume of good MAGA material deserving of good satire and ridicule.
Astute.
See my Citizen Newsom.
It is true that in many ways Newsom is doing an admirable job trolling and fighting back against $rump and his Project 2025 backers. I agree that he deserves our support doing that.
It is also true that Newsom has actively undermined our trans relatives and neighbors. He opposed measures in the California legislature that would have helped. On right wing podcasts he talked as if the handful of trans girls who are good at sports are a national crisis that must be stopped by politicians. Anyone who will throw marginalized people under the bus has demonstrated a willingness to betray people for his own advantage. For details, see Erin Reed's post at https://substack.com/home/post/p-171886282.
So support Newsom in any good he does. But don't glorify or trust him: he has shown us that would be a mistake.
You are so right!
U